Process of reclaiming waste gold and other valuable metals from water and other liquids.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906y O. E. HOLLAND. PROCESS 0F REOLAIMING WASTE GOLDAND OTHER VALUABLE METALS FROM WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1905.

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' der existin NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

.HARLEs E. HOLLAND. OE NEW YORK, N. Y., AssToNOR ro THE HOLLAND METALRECOVERY OOMPANY, A iCORPORATION OF NEw YORK.

PROCESS OF RECLATMTNG WASTE GOLD ANO OTHER VALUARLE METALS FROM WATERAND OTHER LTOUIOS. y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. HOLLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a newand Improved Process of Reclaiming Gold and Other Valuable Metals fromWater and Other Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

This process is intended for employment in reclaimin or recoveringprecious and other valuab e metals from water and other liquids orliquid solutions and compounds, and it is particularly applicable torunning streams in the vicinity o gold or silver mines, which usuallyreceive considerable quantities of gold from the mines, and from staming, concentrating, smelting, and other mils or appliances, such oldrunnin to waste and becoming lost. t is probab y true that in -themajority of cases stamping-mills combined with amalgamating andconcentrating systems lose from twenty to fifty er cent. of their goldor other metals in this manner, that amount going to waste and beingabsolutely lost.

It is the object of the present invention to reclaim or recover all ofthe metal which unconditions is now lost, so that there will epractically no Waste or loss whatever of the metal which reaches thestream or water in the vicinity of the mine or is deposited in any otherliquid.

In my process I force or conduct `the stream of water into and through arunway or tank in which it is treated by electrolysis, whereby theorganic and inorganic matter in suspension or solution is coagulated orprecipitated, the coagulations and precipitated matter containingpractically all the gold or other metal which would otherwise have runto waste. This product is conducted from the tank orrunway'to dryingtables, tanks,

ans, retorts, or similar ap l1ances,-where it 1s subjected to a processo eva oration, deeantation, or filtration, leavin t e solid matter, ofwhich the gold or ot er mineral in powderedor anulated form constitutesa part. After t e` liquid matter has thus been eva orated, decanted, oriiltrated oif the gol or other metal is separated or extracted material.

by treating the matter with a solution of cyanid of potassium or by anyother of the wellknown processes of separation.

In the accom anying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudina vertical sectionillustrating an apparatus for carrying outl the steps of my process.Fig. 2 is a plan view o the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This apparatus is one which may be employed successfully in practicingmy process; but I do not confine myself to lts use nor to theconstruction shown of any of its parts, as I propose to employ any styleof electrolytic apparatus or pan or other mechanical means which willsuccessfully carry out the steps of my process.

a represents a reservoir ada ted to receive a contlnuous flow of water,as om a running stream, and to conduct it by means of a suitable outletb into a tank or runway c, constructed of wood or other material andlined with hard rubber d or other non-conductive This tank containspositive and negative electrodes e, arranged alternately, the poles ofthe anodes being all ,on one side of the tank andthe poles of thecathodes on the other and the rows of electrodes being supported bymetallic bars f, and thereby connected with wires connecting withbatteries or dynamos. The electrodes may be of any .suitable conductivematerial, such as aluminium or iron, and of any shape, number, orarrangement. They are preferably sufficiently numerous to well fill thetank, and they extend well down toward or to the bottom thereof. gis apan adapted to receive the product b means ofthe outlet-pipe h.

The water owing from the reservoir a into the tank is therein subjectedto electrolysis,

the electric currents from the anodes forming an oXyhydrate, whichcoagulates or precipitates the organic and inorganic matter insuspension or solution and unites them into The an insoluble coagulum orprecipitate. electrochemical action produced in the above process formsa coagulum or precipitate which is conveyed as a product onto the dry.-ing-pan g, where the liquid is evaporated ofi",

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(or it may be filtered or decanted,) after which the precious metal isextracted by any well-known process, as above stated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process of reclaimin gold or other `precious or valuable metalsrom water or other liquids, consisting in conducting the stream or bodyof liquid to an electrolytic a paratus, subjecting it to electrolysis,in te presence of a body capable of Jforming a coagulum, and collectingthe coagulum produced thereby.

2. The process of reclaiming gold or other precious or valuable metalsfrom water or other liquids, consisting in conducting the streamer bodyof liquid to an electrolytic a paratus, subjecting it to electrolysis,in t e presence oh a body capable of forming a coagulum, and collectingthe coagulum and precipitate produced thereby.

3. rlhe process of reclaiming gold or other precious or valuable metalsfrom water or other liquids, consisting in conducting the stream or bodyof liquid to an electrolytic a paratus, subjecting it to electrolysis,in t e presence of a body capable oi forming a coagulum, collecting thecoagulum produced thereby, and subjecting it to a suitable process forextracting the metal contained therein.

4. rihe process of reclaimin gold or other preciousl or valuable metalsrom water or other liquids, consisting in conducting the stream or bodyof liquid to an electrolytic ap paratus, subjecting it to electrolysis,in t e presence of a body capable of forming a coagulum, collecting thecoagulum and precipitate produced thereby, and subjecting it -to asuitable process for extracting the metal contained therein.

5. The process of reclaiming gold and other precious or valuable metalsfrom water or other liquids, consisting'in conducting the stream or bodyof liquid into and continuously through a runway or tank, subjecting itto electrolysis, in the presence of a body capable of forming acoagulum, while it is assing through the runway ortank and colecting thecoagulum produced thereby.

6. The process of reclaimin gold or other precious or valuable metals omwater or other liquids, consisting in conducting the stream or body ofliquid into and continuously throu h a runway or tank, subjecting it toelectro ysis, in the presence of a body capable of forming a coagulum,while '1t 1s assing through the runway or tank and colecting thecoagulum and precipitate formed thereby.

7 The process of reclaiming gold and other precious or valuable metalsfrom water or other liquids, 'consisting in conducting the stream orbody of liquid into and continuously through a runway or tank,subjecting it to electrolysis, in the presence of a body capable offorming a coagulum, while it is assing through the runway or tank,collect' ing the coagulum produced thereby, and sub- -jecting it to asuitable process for extracting thereby, and subjecting it to a suitableproc- 7 ess for extracting the metal contained therein.

9. rlhe process of reclaiming gold and other precious or valuable metalsfrom water or other liquids, consisting in conducting ythe stream orbody of water to an electrolytic a paratus, subjecting it toelectrolysis, in t e presence of a body capable of forming a coagulum,removing the coagulum produced thereby, evaporating, decanting andfiltrating ofi the liquid therefrom, and subjecting the roduct orresiduum to a separating process ior the purpose of extracting themetal.

i0. llhe process oi reclaiming goldand other precious or valuable metalsfrom water or other li uids, consisting in conducting the stream or odyof water into and continuously throu h a runway or tank, subjecting itto electro ysis, in the presence of a body capable of forming acoagulum, while it is passing throu h the-runway or tank, removing thecoagu um produced by the electrolytic process, evaporating, decanting orfiltering off the liquid therefrom, and subjecting the product orresiduum to a separating process for the purpose of extracting themetal.

11. The process of reclaiming gold and other precious or valuable metalsJfrom water or other liquids, consisting in conducting the stream orbody of water to an electrolytic apparatus, subjecting it toelectrolysis, in the presence of a body capable of forming a coagulum,removing the coagulum and precipitate produced thereby, eva 4oratindecanting) or iiltrating off the liquid there om, and su j ectingtheproduct or residuum to a separating process for the purpose ofextracting the metal.

12. The process of reclaiming gold and other precious or valuable metalsfrom water or other liquids, consisting in conducting the stream or bodyof water into and continuously through a runway or tank', subjecting itto electro ysis, in the presence of a body IOO IIO

capable of forming a coagulum, While it is In testimony whereofl havesigned my passing throu h the runway or tank, removname to thisspecification in the presence of 1o ing the coagu um and precipitateproducled two subscribing Witnesses.

by the electrolytic process eva oratin e- Cantin or lterng off theliquilthere 0111, CHARLES E' HOLLAND' and su j ecting the product or residuumto a Witnesses:

separating process for the purpose of extract- 4 J. M. MALAMENT,

ing the metal. RoBT. HALL CAssEL.

